Author: Sancier KM
Affiliation: Qigong Institute, 561 Berkeley Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
Conference/Journal: 4th World Conf Acad Exch Med Qigong
Date published: 1998
Other:
Pages: 121 , Word Count: 339
According to an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, more than 100,000 people a year die in American hospitals from adverse reactions to medication, making drug reactions one of the leading causes of death in the United States. In the present paper, clinical studies are reviewed that report greater benefits from a combination therapy of Qigong practice and drugs compared to drug therapy alone, and that Qigong may reduce drug dosage. Most of the clinical studies were performed in China by Chinese scientists. The information for this review was developed mainly by using the Computerized Qigong Database and partly from personal contacts with researchers. At the outset, the point is made that self practice of Qigong can affect favorably many functions of the body. Three general medical conditions are reviewed:
a. hypertension
b. respiratory disease
c. cancer
In the clinical studies, drugs were administered to almost all patients who were usually divided into two groups. Group A composed of those who practiced Qigong exercises and Group B, a control group which did not practice Qigong.
Multiple medical benefits accrue to patients who received the combination therapy of Qigong and drugs compared with drugs alone. Therefore, combining Qigong practice with drug therapy may have significant impact in relieving sickness, mortality and costs associated with adverse drug reactions.
Dramatic cost savings are reported in an asthma study. To account for the superior benefits of the combination therapy compared to therapy by drugs alone, a mechanism is proposed in which Qigong promotes the uniform flow of Qi in the body which in turn improves blood circulation, delivery of oxygen and nutrients to cells of the body, and removal of waste products. In this way the functions of the body are strengthened so that the body can heal itself. The enhanced effect of Qigong on drug therapy then results from the increased blood circulation and the attendant greater efficiency of delivery and utilization of
drugs in the blood to tissues of the body which are under stress from disease or injury.